Fiji athletes told: learn from India
Fiji’s Indian women athletes have much to learn from the success of India’s 4x400 metres relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, a leading Fiji athletics official says.
Albert Miller, himself a former Games medallist, said the historic gold medal achievement of India's women 4x400 metres relay team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi should motivate Indo-Fijians to consider taking up the sport seriously.
India won its first-ever track gold medal in front of the home crowd to upset Nigeria and England at the tape.
Miller said local Indo-Fijians had the potential but the mental attitude needed to be changed.
"I mean to think about their achievement is quite surprising," Miller told the Fiji Times.
"It's encouraging and should motivate our local girls to consider the sport."
However, Miller said the Indo-Fijian parents and guardians should be advised to change their mental approach and encourage their children to give sports a serious thought.
Reena Devi was the first Indo-Fijian to win a medal (silver) for Fiji during the 1985 South Pacific Mini Games in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
Twenty four years later, Kavita Maharaj scooped two gold medals at last year's Cook Islands Mini Games.
Miller said only a handful of Indo-Fijian athletes were part of the Chow and Coca-Cola Games (school games).
He said like other sports, athletes should be exposed at a tender age.
"The surprise achievement of that Indian team was that they were exposed and they showed they had the potential to upset the world champs," Miller said.
"We have the potential here but we need to change the mind-set of parents. Mostly children are sent to school with only education as the prime objective and then job after school.
"It should start from home because it is the parents that have the final say to this," Miller said.
"If we try to consider sports also I believe we can also achieve what those girls achieved at the Commonwealth Games."India stunned the field to take the women's 4x400m relay title.
Roared on by a passionate home crowd, India led virtually for the whole race with Manjeet Kaur handing over just ahead of England on the first leg, and Sini Jose and Ashwini Akkunji holding the advantage over the second and third legs.
It was left to Mandeep Kaur to hold off Nigeria's 400m hurdles gold medallist Muizat Odumosu and Nadine Okyere of England on the final stretch.
She was never threatened, however, and India took the top honours in 3:27.77 seconds, to Nigeria's 3:28.72 and England's 3:29.51.
"I have got goosebumps right now. I think we won because of the crowd support we had," Manjeet told the international media.
"We worked on our performance day and night. We wanted to prove to the world that we can win medals in athletics.
"It was a personal triumph for Manjeet Kaur, who has now won one gold and one silver at the track, making her the only person from India to achieve this feat."
- Fiji Times
Fiji’s Indian women athletes have much to learn from the success of India’s 4x400 metres relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, a leading Fiji athletics official says. Albert Miller, himself a former Games medallist, said the historic gold medal achievement of India's women 4x400 metres...
Fiji’s Indian women athletes have much to learn from the success of India’s 4x400 metres relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, a leading Fiji athletics official says.
Albert Miller, himself a former Games medallist, said the historic gold medal achievement of India's women 4x400 metres relay team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi should motivate Indo-Fijians to consider taking up the sport seriously.
India won its first-ever track gold medal in front of the home crowd to upset Nigeria and England at the tape.
Miller said local Indo-Fijians had the potential but the mental attitude needed to be changed.
"I mean to think about their achievement is quite surprising," Miller told the Fiji Times.
"It's encouraging and should motivate our local girls to consider the sport."
However, Miller said the Indo-Fijian parents and guardians should be advised to change their mental approach and encourage their children to give sports a serious thought.
Reena Devi was the first Indo-Fijian to win a medal (silver) for Fiji during the 1985 South Pacific Mini Games in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
Twenty four years later, Kavita Maharaj scooped two gold medals at last year's Cook Islands Mini Games.
Miller said only a handful of Indo-Fijian athletes were part of the Chow and Coca-Cola Games (school games).
He said like other sports, athletes should be exposed at a tender age.
"The surprise achievement of that Indian team was that they were exposed and they showed they had the potential to upset the world champs," Miller said.
"We have the potential here but we need to change the mind-set of parents. Mostly children are sent to school with only education as the prime objective and then job after school.
"It should start from home because it is the parents that have the final say to this," Miller said.
"If we try to consider sports also I believe we can also achieve what those girls achieved at the Commonwealth Games."India stunned the field to take the women's 4x400m relay title.
Roared on by a passionate home crowd, India led virtually for the whole race with Manjeet Kaur handing over just ahead of England on the first leg, and Sini Jose and Ashwini Akkunji holding the advantage over the second and third legs.
It was left to Mandeep Kaur to hold off Nigeria's 400m hurdles gold medallist Muizat Odumosu and Nadine Okyere of England on the final stretch.
She was never threatened, however, and India took the top honours in 3:27.77 seconds, to Nigeria's 3:28.72 and England's 3:29.51.
"I have got goosebumps right now. I think we won because of the crowd support we had," Manjeet told the international media.
"We worked on our performance day and night. We wanted to prove to the world that we can win medals in athletics.
"It was a personal triumph for Manjeet Kaur, who has now won one gold and one silver at the track, making her the only person from India to achieve this feat."
- Fiji Times
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